


A Perfect Contradiction

by blossomtree



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2018-02-03 05:07:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1732289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blossomtree/pseuds/blossomtree





	A Perfect Contradiction

The bathroom tiles were cold beneath her but she made no attempt to move. She opened her eyes tiredly, squinting through the darkness, and sat up against the bath. She wondered if she had dreamt it all, but as she saw the glint of the street lamp outside upon her mobile phone that lay across the room, she knew that it hadn't been a dream. It had actually happened, and it hadn't been her twisted subconscious teasing her with images that it had created. She closed her eyes once more and took a deep breath, feeling warm salty tears fill her eyes. The glorious sunshine that had adorned the sky just a few hours ago had now been replaced by night, with all remnants of day gone without a trace. The coolness of the darkness sent a shiver down her spine and she pulled the thin cardigan tighter around her frame.

Her body was aching from having fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position, after hours of crying, but the ache in her heart weighed her down heavier. She allowed the tears to fall from her eyes and felt as they dropped onto her hands.

The screen of her mobile lit up and started to vibrate against the smooth white tiles and she hesitated. Biting her lip, she watched with impatience as the phone continued to vibrate until it stopped as soon as it had begun, and the screen adorning a name fell back into the darkness. Just when she went to breathe a sigh of relief, the phone started ringing again and she moved towards it clumsily. The feeling in her legs had gone and been replaced with a tingly sensation.

The brightness of the screen shocked her for a moment and she found herself squinting in an attempt to shield her eyes from the intrusive light. She saw the three lettered name and felt something wrap itself around her heart and squeeze the life out of it. She felt breathless. She felt as if she was taking her last breath but she tried to remain as calm as she could, and pressed a button to answer the call.

“Louise, where are you?” The voice said as soon as she pressed her ear to the phone. The kind yet worried voice of her friend sent a small smile to etch across her face, and despite the turmoil she was feeling within her heart and mind, she found comfort in his voice.

“I’m at home,” she whispered, her voice failing her. She heard him sigh, and the busyness of the room he had been in ceased and was replaced by silence.

“Lydia had been calling me all afternoon but I’ve only just been able to check my phone. She told me that she couldn't get hold of you,” he replied. Not wanting to delve deeper into the reason why, he continued. “But I’ll be home in ten, yeah? I won’t be long, sweetie.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”  
  
After exchanging the goodbyes, she allowed the phone to drop onto her legs. She moved back towards the bath and rested her head against it. The coldness crept into the warmth of her neck and she shivered. She closed her eyes and tried to think of anything other than that, but no matter how hard she tried, the image came back to her and imprinted itself into her mind. He would be home soon. He could make it all better.

A short time later, she heard the front door opening and closing in the distance. She heard her name being called but her throat was too dry for her voice to be heard. It wasn’t long before the bathroom door opened, revealing a tall figure masked in darkness. It remained there for a moment, as if probing the darkness and trying to find any signs of life. They pushed the door open further and their gaze settled on what they were looking for. She stared up at him and felt the emotion she was trying to keep at bay begin to thrash against the weak barrier she had tried to construct.

Stepping into the room, he slipped off his jacket and hung it on the door handle. He undid the buttons of his sleeves as he moved towards her and bent down to sit next to her. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment and noticed that she was staring at him. The tears in her eyes caught the light of the street lamp outside and he felt his heart break. He laid his hand upon hers and laced his long fingers in between hers. The tears fell from her eyes and she let out a sob. The sadness in her eyes spoke a thousand words and he nodded sadly as he pulled her towards him in one swift movement. As he held her to his chest, she found herself begin to sob uncontrollably.

He said nothing as sobs reverberated throughout her body, and he found that all he could do was rub her back gently and occasionally brush his lips against her head in an attempt to soothe and comfort her. They remained sat in the bathroom for another hour but he didn't seem to mind. The emotion was leaving her body and he just needed to be there for her. No words needed to be said, and Tom knew that.

As her sobbing began to subside, she lifted her head up and took in deep breaths as her eyes grew tired. He laced his fingers through her hair and gently stroked the tip of her ear with his thumb. He offered a small smile and found that she smiled back at him. The smile was hurt and small but it was a smile nonetheless.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trying to regain control from the emotion.

“What for?”

“For being here.”  
  
Tom smiled. “I would’ve been here sooner if I’d checked my phone.”  
  
Louise nodded and stifled a small yawn as tiredness overwhelmed her. “But you’re here now.”  
  
“I’m here now,” he nodded, agreeing.

Her phone began to ring and Tom watched as she sat back, causing his hands to leave her hair. Her eyes were fixated on the phone that had fallen onto the floor. He reached for it and rejected the call, before placing it into his trouser pocket.

“I’ll let everyone know that you got home safe and that I’m here to look after you as you change into your pyjamas,” Tom began. “Then, I’ll fix us up with some wine because I think you need it, and some dinner?”  
  
“What time is it?”

Tom pulled his phone out of his other trouser pocket and glanced at it. It was late but time didn't really matter. He guessed that she hadn't eaten, and he, being in a meeting all afternoon and evening, hadn’t eaten either.

“It’s half ten,” he answered.   
  
Louise sighed and shook her head in disbelief. He stood up and with his hands; he pulled her up from the floor. He led her out of the bathroom and into the living room. The basement flat was relatively big and had two good sized bedrooms. The living room and kitchen were open plan, and the bathroom was situated next to the kitchen. They enjoyed living there, as they had done when they moved in four years ago. It was before Tom found fame in the Thor movie and he became well known around the world. He could choose to live anywhere in the world but he felt home in the basement flat with Louise. They were best friends and had been for over ten years. They enjoyed each other’s company and fame, for Tom, hadn't changed that.

As Louise went to change into comfy clothing, Tom found himself glancing towards her closed door. When he had seen her on the floor, his heart broke in two. All he wanted to do was make it better for her, but he knew that he was powerless. As hard as it was for him to watch, he knew that she needed to break in order to be fixed. He pulled her phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. 27 missed calls. 32 unread messages. He checked them all and saw that most of them were from Lydia and _him_. Tom shook his head and placed her phone back into his pocket. It was better if, for tonight, she got a peaceful night’s sleep without any disturbances. She was tired, emotionally, physically and mentally, and he knew that.

He went over to the notice board and found a takeaway menu pinned to it. He detached it and looked through it.

“I’m sorry, Tom.”  
  
Tom turned around at the sound of Louise’s voice. He furrowed his brow in confusion. “What for?”  
  
“For this,” she motioned around her but he didn't understand what she was referring to.   
  
“I don’t understand?”  
  
“You warned me away from him and I didn't listen to you. And I should’ve,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “Now you’re picking up the pieces. Like you always do.”  
  
“Hey,” Tom said firmly. “You can quit that. It wasn't your fault. If anything, I take some responsibility. I introduced the two of you when I knew what he was capable of. And that’s what I'm here for anyway. I'm here to pick up the pieces and you are there to do the same for me.”  
  
“But I still didn't listen,” Louise whispered. “And I'm sorry. I really am.”  
  
“Come here,” Tom said, watching as Louise made her way towards him. He opened his arms and enveloped her in a hug. He kissed her on the top of her head as she slipped her arms around his body. He breathed in the sweet aromas of her hair despite the height difference.

She pulled away from him, climbed onto her tiptoes, and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Thank you, Tom.”

He ruffled her hair and she laughed, despite the ache in her heart. “Go and find a good film for us to watch whilst I order some pizza, okay? And no _Titanic_. We don’t want both of us crying!”

*

A few hours later when the credits of _Titanic_ scrolled up the screen, Tom glanced towards the form of Louise who was lying with her head on his lap. Her shallow breathing confirmed his curiosity as to whether she was asleep or not. The room was dark except for the bright white writing on the screen from the credits, and the street lamp outside the living room window. Pizza boxes were strewn across the coffee table and an empty bottle of wine sat on the floor along with two wine glasses.

He stroked her hair as gently as possible so he wouldn't wake her. Even though it was incredibly late and he was tired, he was comfortable for the most part. His thoughts went back to the moment he’d found her on the bathroom floor, her eyes sad and vulnerable. All he wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms and take her away from it all. His feelings for Louise had always been there, but he just assumed that it was a crush that he would soon get over. When it didn't, he learned a way to keep his feelings at bay. It was part and parcel with being an actor, he was able to manipulate his feelings and emotions and pretend that his feelings for her never existed. And when she started dating Steve, he thought that his feelings would go but when they didn't, he had to ask himself if what he felt for Louise was more serious than he first assumed. And they were.

Tom switched the TV off and sat in the darkness. Louise stirred for a moment then fell silent. He had tried to get to the bottom of what had happened, but no matter how close he was to getting the information out of her, she changed the subject. And he understood that when she was ready to tell him then she would. After all they were friends and they were open with each other. He had a suspicion about what it could possibly be about, and her reaction and state in which he had found her confirmed that.

A yawn escaped him, catching him off guard. Lifting her head up, he slipped from his seat and laid her head back down on a cushion. He pulled her phone out of his pocket and checked the messages. Some were from Steve, some from Lydia and some from himself. He opened the messages from Steve.

_It wasn’t what it looked like. Please just answer your phone_

_Louise… I would never cheat on you. Please baby, just answer your phone_

_I met her in town and she was upset. We went back to mine for coffee and I guess we just fell asleep. Nothing happened; I’m not that stupid baby_

_This is getting ridiculous now, Louise. I would never ever cheat on you baby. I love you too much to do anything with anyone else. And she… nothing, and I mean, absolutely nothing went on_

Tom shook his head. He knew what Steve was like. He had tried to warn Louise away from him but she liked his company. Steve was a funny man, but he was a flirt and loved the ladies. It was only a matter of time before something happened, and a year after they first confirmed their relationship; he had done the one thing he promised Tom he wouldn’t do. He had cheated on his last few girlfriends and boasted about it with mutual friends of his and Tom’s. And for Tom, he wouldn’t be surprised if there were more times other than this time.   
  
He put the phone on the counter and moved towards Louise. He bent down in front of her. She always looked so peaceful when she was asleep, as if all her troubles didn’t exist. A strand of hair had fallen into her face and he carefully stroked it back, his fingers skimming her forehead. He knew what it felt like to be loved by a woman but never by the woman that he truly loved. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.   
  
He vowed that he would protect her. He vowed to make her happy. And at that moment, as he lifted her sleeping form and carried her to her bedroom where he laid her gently onto the bed, he vowed to always love her even if her heart never answered his call.


End file.
